About

Hello, my name is Jeanine.

I never quite know what to say about myself and when I don’t know what to say, I tend to ramble so now might be a good time to stick a load of laundry in the washing machine, brew yourself a cup of coffee and grab a snack because this is going to take a while.

I was born in Detroit in 1975, the unforgettable year of Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance, curly perms, Jaws, Microsoft, the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Get Down Tonight at the top of the charts.

I flew from the nest when I was 17 years old and have moved 30+ times since. I have nomad in my blood and tend to get antsy when I stay in one place for too long — something about the wind whispering sweet nothings in my ear. (Update: maybe it’s age talking, but I think I’m now ready for my forever home.)

I was in a relationship for 12 years, which ended on Valentine’s Day 2008. A year after the split, I travelled solo for five weeks across England, Spain and Italy. On the very first day of my trip, I met a British Boy. I do believe it was love at first sight. We were in a long distance relationship for three years, travelling back and forth and in-between. It was challenging and expensive and adventurous and exciting. However, it couldn’t last forever (thank God). He proposed in November 2011 and we were married a month later in Lake Placid, NY. In 2015, our baby girl was born. She is our light, our guru. It still sounds surreal when I say “I live in London with my husband and our daughter.” You never can tell where life will take you.

I’m French Canadian so I tend to pepper my posts with random expressions from the homeland, particularly when I can’t find the words in English, which means that you may not always understand what I’m saying but that’s okay because I am sans rapport sometimes so you won’t be missing much.

I am a wine and whiskey lush. Scratch that. I was a wine and whiskey lush and then I went and had a baby. Now half a glass of wine = plastered.

I have an alarmingly large love for dark chocolate and my heart skips a beat when strangers (male or female) return a smile.

I am a music fiend. Seriously. It’s an obsession. I can’t actually imagine my life without music in it. Nor do I want to.

Photography is like crack to me. Especially 35mm.

My favourite piece of punctuation is the exclamation mark because it packs a punch! My least favourite is the semicolon because I never quite know in what context to use it so I prefer to pretend it doesn’t exist.

I am quirky, clumsy, sometimes moody, generally prone to giggles and a firm believer in magic and signs from the universe.

I strive for balance while exploring the extremes to ensure that I never fall into habit (the curdle in life’s crème brulée). I live for experiences and subsequent stories to tell, which for me means going to the edge and shaking my reality once in a while, then retreating to my cave where I can process it all (like a true introvert).

This blog is where I come to remind myself of all that is good and beautiful in life. It’s a pretty good representation of me. Sometimes I’m contemplative and poetic and shy and soulful… other times I’m downright silly and gritty and like a sailor at sea with a mouthful of whiskey and profanity. I am a walking contradiction and for the longest time this made me feel aimless. But I now realise that I am a seeker of stories, experiences and beauty, which means that I have to taste a little bit of everything that life has to offer. Pegging me might be difficult but one thing is certain: I LOVE LIFE.

I would like to see northern lights, New York City (check), the pyramids of Egypt and monkeys in the wild (check). Also, I hope to one day live in a house by a lake, with lots of pets, love, laughter, a full wine cellar and a kickass popcorn machine.

I always love to hear from readers, so please feel free to email me and say hello.

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I love that you are my daughter and one of the most interesting people in my life and I dare say in many other lives as well. I’d also say don’t ever change but that would be a contradiction in terms when it comes to you. 🙂

Hi Jeanine!
I felt I had to come out of the woodwork, where I have been silently lurking, enjoying your words and your wonderful images, your quirky sense of humour and your way of looking at life. I couldn’t remember how I came across your site and bookmarked it, but it was one I went back to, time and time again. And then I read that you were meeting up with the wonderful Susannah (and SHE wrote about meeting you) and I realised that Susannah was the one who mentioned your website and pointed me in your direction a while back. (I have also been a long-time lurker on Susannah’s blog…).
I think you have a Serious Talent, girl, both in writing and in photography, and I sincerely hope you one day get to earn your living travelling and writing all about it! You obviously have a passion for both writing and photography so I hope you are able to follow your dream. (I am just back from seeing ‘Julie and Julia’ and Julie got a book deal and a movie from writing her blog… so you never know!).
And if your travels ever bring you Down-Under to Sydney, you’d better let me know and I would be happy to show you around!

to start – your mom’s comment rocks…so you must too. enjoyed stumbling on this in the dark. find myself strangely alone in the house. sun goes down early now and i never even bothered to turn on any lights – save a few flickering candles. too lazy to turn on the tv. but there’s nothing there nearly as interesting as discovering new blog-o-friends. nice to meet you.

I found your blog through a friend of a friend on facebook after discovering that we share two mutual friends, one here in Montreal and one in North Carolina, which is so bizarre already. But I love your blog. From what I’ve read so far, which isn’t much, it’s the reverse of me. I had my long distance relationship and now I’m on the self-imposed break. 😀 And I think your blog hit me at just the right time because a few months ago, I’d have probably been too angry to read past “LDR”, and now, I read it and wonder what the tide may bring. 😉 🙂

I’d like to talk with you about using three or four of your photographs for a project I’m working on. If you are interested will you leave a comment on my blog at http://inawordtoo.typepad.com/werd/werd?

Hey Jeanine.
Just came across your blog and loved it!
Like you, my relationship also ends on Valentine 2008. I was signing the divorce papers while other women got flowers and Valentine cards. I guess you and me didn’t celebrate that much that day, hua?
But I also grew from it and learned so much about myself and now I even write a book about it.
I have a blog called ’56 and Broadway’ my address in NY (but the blog is currently in Hebrew and in the process to create one in English)
Like you, I also travel a lot, always with my camera.
Keep doing what you are doing! It’s inspiring

your posts just… fascinate me. i found you through Gypsy’s Girls Guide and am oh so happy i came across your blog. amazing, very inspiring. i, too, love to travel, follow strange paths and try to discover everything unknown to me.

Holy shit, I love your blog (I’m in the process of perusing!) Your photos light me up and make me feel really dreamy at the same time. I appreciate your honesty and grittiness and I see myself reflected in some of the descriptions in your intro – i am also a bit of a contradiction!) One of my life goals is to see the northern lights as well, they keep eluding me!

Anyways, I stumbled upon your site randomly and just wanted to say ‘hi’ *waves* 🙂

“I strive for balance while exploring the extremes to ensure that I never fall into habit (…) I am a firm believer in magic and signs from the universe” I am connecting with so many bits and pieces, there seem so many parallels and it’s just a good feeling to know there are other people out there who see the world just like you do. Also, really good writing! I’m happy to stumble upon your little world here on wordpress,

i stumbled across this and just started a blog of my own called across the pond diaries and going through a similar experience! my fiance is now england (he’s english) and i was just rejected the fiance visa. i am now waiting for my marriage tourist visa so i can make it to our wedding over there! then plan to apply for the spouse visa. it’s rough! good to know that there can be a happy ending out of all of this!

Wow, amazing story, and similar to that of mine and my now wife’s. We met in Thailand (she’s from Hong Kong, I’m from England) and we had a long distance relationship for 4 years. We’re now married and live in Hong Kong. By the way i found your blog via flickr. I’m a film fanatic as well. matthewdallow.co.uk/blog All the best